Geoff Abbas '99 – New York City Media Projects ... - Hope College

Geoff Abbas ’99 – New York City
Media Projects Manager/collaborator (including multi-media art installations as
well as on-line videos and DVDs), The Wooster Group
John Andersen ’03 – Holland, MI
Exhibit, “Light and Atmosphere – Landscapes,” Holland Area Arts Council
Jennifer Blair-Bianco ’07 – the Philippines
Actor, “Filipino ka, Sabihin mo,” children’s TV program, Filipino
Channel; modeling; writing music (including radio jingles); stage productions with
Dangerous Ground Productions (NYC) and Stages on the Sound (NYC, Poland)
Lisa Borton ’09 – Iowa City, IA
MFA candidate, Costume Design, University of Iowa
Brenna Bosma Krass ’03 – Chicago, IL
Academic advisor, Moraine Valley Community College; M.S.Ed. candidate,
Adult and Higher Education, Student Affairs, Northern Illinois Valley; New World
Repertory Theatre
Kat Bramley ’08 – Chiapas, Mexico
Fifth grade teacher, The American School Foundation of Chiapas in Tuxtla-
Gutierrex; arts education intern and assistant teaching artist, Adventure Stage Chicago;
middle school theatre teacher, The International School of Luxembourg
Steven Branford ’08 – New York
M.S. TESOL candidate, Mercy College; K-12 all-subject substitute teacher
Kara Burk ’00 – Los Angeles, CA
Staff writer, Romantically Challenged, ABC
Isaac Bush ’09 – New York City
Equity actor, national tour of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; film and
theatre work including Much Ado about Nothing, Melodrama Play, Suicide in B Flat,
Sex, Relationships, and Sometimes Love (Michael Chekhov Theatre Company), Twelfth
Night (Time Space Theatre Company), Woyzeck , The Last Rat (playwright, too);
currently writing Midwest Delight, a musical memoir
Adam Carpenter ’07 – Sarasota, FL
MFA candidate, Acting, Asolo Conservatory
Rachel Carrozziere ’03 – Nashville, TN
Singer (including two albums); actor, various film projects and national
commercials
Josh Carstens ’02 – Atlanta, GA

Financial Coordinator, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation; non-profit
accounting, Woodruff Arts Center, Dallas Theater Center; freelance copyeditor and
contributor for a media company; M.A. Professional Writing (creative and
business/technical editing), 2007
Emily Casey ’06 – Chicago, IL
Actor, The Pirates of Penzance with The Hypocrites, Entertainment Department
at Navy Pier; musician, Cabaret Vagabond; child wrangler, Billy Elliot
Susan Checklick ’97 – New York City
Member IATSE Theatrical Wardrobe Union Local 764 since 1998; Broadway
wardrobe supervisor, sometimes dresser and stitcher
Jaclynn Cherry ’09 – Rochester Hills, MI
Plante and Moran, accounting firm; preparing for CPA exam; studying improv
Bridget Chervenka ’05 – New York City
Light board operator and programmer, Signature Theatre
Reagan Chesnut ’08 – Dublin, Ireland
M.Phil., Theatre and Performance, Trinity College, Dublin; Ph.D. candidate,
Trinity College; head script-reader, Fishamble Theatre Company, Dublin
Dane Clark ’07 – Sarasota, FL
MFA candidate, Acting, Asolo Conservatory, including roles in The Mystery
Plays, Electra, Blue/Orange, Machinal, and The Game of Love and Chance. Currently in
Frank Wildhorn’s new musical, Bonnie and Clyde at the Asolo Rep and subsequently
performing Clifford in Deathtrap
Kathryn Cleveland Bedrosian ’02 – New York City
Co-founder of grassroots theatre company, Alacrity Players; M.A., Theatre,
Michigan State University
Chad Coe ’07 – Los Angeles, CA
Actor, commercial work including Comcast and Target
Blaine Cook ’02 – New York City, NY
Co-founder of grassroots theatre company, Alacrity Players; laboratory
coordinator, International AIDs Vaccine Initiative Design and Development Laboratory
Amelia Cox ’94 – Baltimore, MD
Creative producer and production manager, Liz Lehrman Dance Exchange; MFA
Creative Writing – Fiction, Warren Wilson College. 2004
Leslie Csokasy ’95 – Seattle, WA
Founder and co-owner, Great Dog, multi-service dog daycare,
http://www.gogreatdog.com/; owner, BARK! Espresso, the nation’s first dog-friendly

café, http://www.barkespresso.com/; founder and vice-president, Project Canine, nonprofit
organization devoted to humane education in classrooms and with at-risk youth,
http://www.projectcanine.org/
Jared Abram DeBacker -'05 NY NY, Chicago IL
Multi-disciplinary theater artist, production manager, technical director, stage
manager, performer; NY/NJ companies of note: The New Group, Primary Stages, The
Exchange, Aurora Productions, The New York Musical Theater Festival, Fellowship of
the Performing Arts, Bernhard Link Theatrical, Montclair State University's Peak
Performance Series Alexander Kasser Theater; founding member, Semi-Theatre, Jeremy
Lydic ’02, artistic director; Chicago companies of note: The Inconvenience, The New
Colony, The Hypocrites, Eclipse Theatre, Ravenswood Studio, Inc., Chicago
Shakespeare Company
Christopher de Haan ’94 – Los Angeles, CA
National Director of Communications, American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists (AFTRA, AFL-CIO), handling all internal and external strategic
communications for the union; MFA, Dramaturgy, Yale School of Drama
Sandra Deitz ’06 – Dallas, TX
MFA, Acting, Southern Methodist University. 2010
Amanda Dekker Friday ’06 – Madison, WI
Actor, theatre and independent film projects; self-employed medical
transcriptionist
Rebecca DeVries McConnell ‘00 – Indianapolis, IN
M.A., Education (secondary drama and English), University of Indianapolis;
music, drama, and dance teacher in community theatres; acting, directing, costume
design; private audition coach, Encore Association Award, Best Actress in a Musical and
Best Female Singer in a Musical, 2010, Princess Winnifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Best
Actress in a Musical, 2008, Judy/Ginger, Ruthless!
Michael Dominiak ’06 – Las Vegas, NV
Illusionaire, Criss Angel – Believe, Cirque du Soleil
Kristin Dowedite Ripley ’04 – Rockford, MI
Teacher and director, Rockford Middle School and Calvary Church; M.Ed.
candidate, Reading/Language Arts Education, Grand Valley State University
Isaac Droscha ’08 – Iowa
M.A. candidate, Opera Performance, The University of Northern Iowa; Michigan
Opera Theater Chorus, Detroit
Sam Dunbar ’96 – Las Vegas, NV
Gatekeeper, Cirque du Soleil

Meaghan Elliott ’05 – Washington, D.C.
MFA, Creative Writing, University of Wyoming
Matthew Farmer ’04 – Indianapolis, IN
Head of Dance, Anderson University; co-artistic director, RusticGroove Dance
Company; MFA, Dance and Choreography, University of Michigan; soloist and company
member, Peter Sparling Dance Company; company member and associate director,
LehrerDance; co-author, “Modern Dance – A Teaching Manual”
Kate Finkbeiner ’07 – Chicago, IL
M.A. candidate, Speech Pathology, Northwestern University
Helen Fylstra ‘’05 – Chicago, IL
M. Social Work, University of Illinois in Chicago, 2010; pediatric health support
worker, Lawndale Christian Health Center
David Fleming ’00 – Holland, MI
Director of Corporate Communications, CornerWorld Corporation, a publiclytraded
technology and marketing company
Amy Gaipa ’92 – New York City
Equity actor; Circle in the Square professional training program
Renae Geerlings ‘96 – Los Angeles
Producer, writer, actor, Mane Entertainment; senior comic book editor, Radical
Publishing; blogger, OMFGeek.com
Jennifer George ’98 – Washington, D.C.
Production artist; graduate study in art education, George Washington University
Kate Goetzinger ’07 – New York City
Actor, Indiana Repertory Theatre and Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre; front-ofhouse
staff, Blue Man Group
Clarissa Gregory ’05 – Baltimore, MD
Artist, stop-motion animation; adjunct professor, foundational studio art courses,
Community College of Baltimore and Harford Community College; MFA, Maryland
Institute of Art, Baltimore, 2009; dance member, Effervescent Collective,
http://effervescentcollective.org
James Hamilton ’99 – Detroit, MI
M.Div. Seabury Western Theological Seminary; Episcopal priest, Rector of
Trinity Episcopal Church, Farmington Hills, MI
Reggie Haney ’06 – Minneapolis, MN

Actor, plans to study for Masters in Arts and Cultural Management, St. Mary’s
University
Tim Heck ’04 – Chicago, IL
Dancer, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Thodos
Dance Chicago, Lucky Plush Productions, Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak; actor, Redmoon
Theatre, Blue Man Group; cheerleader, Chicago’s “circus-punk-marching ban” Mucca
Pazza, choreographer
Rasa Hollender ’93 – Austin, TX/Chicago, IL
Sketch comedienne, entertainer, content creator, and mentor with the Starlight
Children's Foundation "Starbright World," a social networking community for
chronically ill teenagers. Starlight's mission is helping seriously ill children and their
families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and
family activities
Rachel Hutt ’05 – Boston, MA
MFA candidate, Dramaturgy, American Repertory Theatre, Harvard University
Megan Jewell Mensink ’04 – Norfolk, VA
Event coordinator, multi-venue entertainment complex; previously production
manager and front-of-house manager, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival
Jennifer Kaufmann ’01 – Indianapolis, IN
M.A. candidate, Teaching, Marian University in Indianapolis, IN
Patrick Kearney ’03 – Madison, WI
Ph.D. candidate, Political Science, University of Wisconsin; M.A., Political
Science, Purdue University
Cindi Knight Calhoun ‘00 – Tucson, Arizona
Ph.D. Literature, candidate (focus on drama and dramaturgy), Arizona State
University; M.A., English Literature, Marquette University; English teaching and
directing, Maricopa High School
Dan Kwiatkowski ’04 – New York City
Member, The Hollows (with Hope alums Jeff Kurtze, David Paarlberg, and Erik
Saxvik); founding member of Semi-Theatre Company and the Farm House Projects;
2009-10 artist-in-residence, Mabou Mines; Equity actor
Sharon Kwon ’07 – Seoul, Korea
Middle school English teacher
Luc Leavenworth ’09 – Waukegan, IL
Mathematics teacher, Waukegan High School, IL

NoahDavid Lein ’06 – Orlando, FL
High school English teacher, co-sponsor and director, high school theatre
department
Russ Lundberg ’96 – Los Angele, CA
Ph.D. candidate, policy analysis, The RAND Corporation; M.A., University of
Maryland; assistant house manager, Studio Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Jeremy Lydic ’02 – New York City, NY
Artistic director, semitheater (devoted to devising new experimental performance
works); founding member, The Internationalists (an international directors’ collective,
currently working primarily between NYC, London, Berlin, and Sydney); Lydic!Design,
a design/build studio for creating specialty props and special effects for theatre and
television and art direction for music videos, commercials, web videos, etc.
Micah Maatman ’04 – St. Peter, Minnesota
Assistant professor and scenic designer, Theatre Department, Gustavus Adolphus
College; MFA, Scenic Design, University of Illinois
Julie Mann Morin ’94 – Houston, TX
Development director, Main Street Theater; freelance grant-writer for non-profits;
previously Managing Director, Frontera@Hyde Park Theatre and Main Street Theater;
Director of Major Gifts and Grant Writing Specialist, Geva Theatre Center, Rochester,
NY
Cody Masalkoski ’07 – Lansing, MI
Emergency Medical Technician, state and national certification in progress;
firefighter; scene shop foreman, Lansing Community College
Rebecca McCoy ’02 – New York City, NY
Freelance electrician/ME/programmer
Michelle Michalski-Thompson ’01 – Hastings, MI
Owner, designer, creator, Michelle Thompson Designs (jewelry); customer
service, The Viking Corporation; Mary Kay consultant; just completed writing a mystery
novel
Amy Miller Edlefson ’00 – Fond du Lac, WI
M.Ed. candidate, with 1 st -8 th grade certification, Marian University; board
member, director, choreographer, and costume designer, Fond du Lac Community
Theatre
Michael Miller ’95 – Chicago, IL
Insurance agent, Farmers Insurance; previously stage manager and director
Zephyr Miller ’06 – Los Angeles, CA

Member, NoHo Center for the Arts; human resources and payroll work at a
clinical laboratory
Sara Murphy ’95 – Chicago, IL
Manager of annual giving, Field Museum of Natural History; Equity stage
manager
Misha Neil ’02 – Elmira, NY
Director of Performing Arts, Elmira College; M.S., Management (non-profit),
Elmira College; previously assistant director and stage manager, American Players’
Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Boston Ballet, Florida Stage Company
Emily Niewendorp ’02 – New York City, NY
Co-founder of grassroots theatre company, Alacrity Players; playwright,
“Growing Season;” writing blog about culture; proofreader for financial printer
Jill Nyquist Schwendeman ’02 – Chicago, IL
Commercial acting work, including Bally’s Fitness and Sears
Michael Olson ’09 – Zeeland, MI
Lighting engineer, TwistHDM, www.twisthdm.com
David Ovies ’03 – Redding, CA
M.Divinity candidate, A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary
Holly Peterson ’99 – Grand Rapids, MI
Plans to enter graduate program in Spanish or Music Education; actor, Holland
Civic Theatre, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, AP Productions; previous acting and improv
work in Chicago; waiter, Alpenrose Restaurant
Julie Phillipps ’94 – West Hartford, CT
Writer and artist, published picture book Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be
Noticed, Viking Press, second Wink book due out in spring 2011, graphic novel in
progress; M.A., Theatre Education, Emerson College, 1999
Jane Pitcher Bagnall ’95 – Chicago, IL
Resident costume designer/costume shop manager, University of Illinois at
Chicago; freelance costume designer; MFA, Costume Design, Ohio University, 1998
Kerstin Pless ’06 – Indonesia
Storytelling, photography, and video, World Relief, international relief and
development organization, Indonesia, India, and China
Naomi Pointer ’09 – Virginia Beach, VA
Long-term high school theatre teacher sub; director of theatre, Freedom
Fellowship Church, including a theatre ministry team and a playwriting team; M.A.,

Theatre Ministry, Regent University, 2011; actor, Virginia Symphony Orchestra touring
children’s educational concerts
Grace Pollert ’05 – Chicago, IL
Cosmetologist; flight attendant; coffee bar manager; art model
Anne Pott ’01 – Holland, MI
Working toward certification as Child Life Specialist; actor, costumer, and
backstage tour guide, Tecumseh! Historical Outdoor Drama
Amy Punt ’94 – Los Angeles, CA
M.A., Communication and Film Directing, Regent University; wrote, directed,
and produced shorts; working for screenwriting training school, Writers Boot Camp, and
evaluating content for Warner Bros. and William Morris Talent Agency
Jamie Raabe Storm ’01 – Allegan, MI
Director, stage manager, Holland Civic Theatre and AP Theatrical Productions;
paraprofessional, Allegan Public Schools
Megan Radcliffe Mills ’99 – New York City, NY
Improviser (including creating and producing shows); improv instructor; currently
studying with the Barrow Group Theatre Company
Kat Ramsey ’06 – Hollywood, CA
Actor, including appearance in Ke$sha music video for “We R Who We R”;
account executive, media intelligence company, Cision; on-camera keyboardist,
children’s television show, “Come On Over”
Abby Rogers ’04 – Philadelphia, PA
Production office coordinator, Primitive World Productions; television and film
production, including The Lovely Bones
Brandon Ruiter ’08 – Chicago, IL
Actor, The House Theatre, Filament Theatre Ensemble, and other Chicago-area
theatres
Michelle Rynbrandt ’01 – Louisville, KY
MA, Educational Leadership, Indiana University, 2010; fourth grade teacher;
regional theatre actor, recent second film release
Erik Saxvik ’04 – New York City, NY
MFA, Acting, American Conservatory Theatre; Actors’ Equity; The Hollows rock
band (with Hope alums Jeff Kurtze, Dan Kwiatkowski, and David Paarlberg); recent
NYC production of Safe Home; Glamour editorial photo shoot
Matt Schwabauer ’06 – Boston, MA

Actor, Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe, and History Alive, associated with Gordon
College’s Theatre Department
Brooke Sherrod Jaeky ’97 – Chicago, IL
Marketing coordinator, Urban Retail Properties; company member; Circle
Theatre; work with other Chicago area theatres including The Goodman, Porchlight
Music Theatre, Emerald City, and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Kelly Sina ’08 – New York City
Actor, with recent roles as Star to Be/Boylan Sister in Annie at The Fireside
Dinner Theatre, Cinderella in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Derby Dinner
Playhouse, Trixie in Dames at Sea at Milwaukee Skylight Theatre
Corrie Smith ’06 – Chicago, IL
Meetings manager, consulting company; MFA, Creative Writing, Murray State
University
Ginger Child Smith ’06 – Grand Rapids, MI
GCS Moments to Remember Event Singing, pursuing teaching degree
Rachel Smith ’99 – Evergreen, CO
M.A., Education, Grand Valley State University, English teacher, middle school,
also directing and choreography for middle school
Amanda Spaanstra ’08 – Champaign, IL
MFA candidate, Costume Design, University of Illinois, thesis project, Iphigenia
and Other Daughters, stitcher, Glimmerglass Opera
Jonathan Sprik ’08 – Houston, TX
MFA, Acting, The University of Houston in connection with the Alley Theatre,
2010
Kendra Stock van Kempen ’06 – Chicago, IL
Director of Special Events, Steppenwolf Company (for which Kendra has worked
since her Hope graduation and internship), currently working on three signature
fundraising events
Kristi Szczepanek ’07 – Chicago, IL
Actor, Quest Theatre Ensemble, Chicken Heart Productions, Light Opera Works
Danny Taylor ’01 – Chicago, IL
New Colony ensemble company member, 3 years; other Chicago theatres:
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Seanachai Theatre Company,
TheatreBam Chicago, Signal Ensemble, Emerald City, Griffin Theatre, Collaboraction,
Bohemian Theatre, and is represented by Geddes Tallen Agency

Katie Terpstra ’09 – Chelsea, MI
Apprenticeship, Purple Rose Theatre
David Theune ’99 – Spring Lake, MI
M.A., Education, Grand Valley State University, teacher, English, drama, film,
and director of theatre program, Spring Lake High School
Whitney Thomas Eads ’08 – Columbus, OH
Artist educator, CATCO-Phoenix Theatre for Children and Families, including
workshops, courses, and curriculum development for all grade levels; actor, Batboy,
Whistling in the Dark Theatre Company
Kristin Thomason Abbas ’96 – New York City, NY
Network administrator, Young Presidents’ Organization; previously company
manager, The Wooster Group
Kristen Tiscornia Thomas ’03 – Greenville, SC
M.A. candidate, Teaching -- Early Childhood, Converse College, Spartanburg
Jessica Trakimas Pauch ’04 – Cleveland, OH
Pre-K teacher; youth theatre director; director, Olmsted Performing Arts
Kristin Underhill ’95 – Holland, MI
Administrative Assistant, Art Department, Hope College; working towards a
second Bachelor of Arts in Art History; charge artist, Holland Civic Theatre; artwork
recently included in the Grand Haven ArtWalk and collaborating on a project for next
year’s ArtPrize in Grand Rapids
Jocelyn Vammer ’08 – New York City
Actor, theatre and film; model, Wilhelmina Agency
Jill VandeWater Isola ’04 – Richmond, VA
M. Div. candidate, Union Theological Seminary; church youth director
Eric Van Tassell ’06 – Chicago, IL
Director of Crash Pad www.facebook.com/CrashPadPuppets; artistic associate
and former technical director, Oracle Theatre; director, stage manager, lighting designer,
technician
Laura Van Tassell ’09 – Philadelphia, PA
Development Associate, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe;
previously development for Walnut Street Theatre and Theatre Horizon; box office
management for Hope College, HSRT, Theatre Horizon
Lisa Warmus Thoma ’05 – Columbus, OH

Supervisor, Experience Programs teachers who educate and entertain the public
and school groups, Science Center
Sarah Watkins ’08 – Chicago, IL
MFA candidate, Scenic Design, Northwestern University; most recently, scenic
design, The Secret Garden, Northwestern University
Amanda Weener ’04 – Milwaukee, WI
Stage manager and company manager, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and Great
River Shakespeare Festival; stage manager, Utah Shakespeare Festival
Rachel Wells ’08 – Chicago, IL
Founding ensemble member and Educational Outreach Director for touring shows
and workshop development, Suitcase Shakespeare Company
Elissa Wickmann Lappenga ’00 – Los Angeles, CA
Resident director, UCLA, previousloy at the Art Institute of California and Hope
College; educator, community health, particularly related to drug, sex, and alcohol
education; M.Ed., Student Affairs, UCLA, 2007
Larry Young ’99 – Grand Rapids, MI
Actor/co-owner, Creative Edge Productions; production manager, “Come On
Over;” creator, “Grand Rapids’s Got Talent” event